Donate meds?

Question

Over the last 6 months or so I've collected quite a few different medications trying to find the right combination to treat a heart dysrythmia. My question is, now I have all of these meds that didn't work that I'm not taking, and I'm wondering if they can be donated to a free clinic or do I just have to throw them out? I'm fortunate enough to have good insurance, but some of these would of run into the $100s of dollars at retail. Are people allowed to donate meds, or should I just flush 'em...

Answer 1

No reputable organization will take them.  Once they have been out of the direct control of the pharmacy there is no possible way for any org. to be certain that they have not been tampered with. (Not insinuating that you would), bu the liability, not to mention state and federal laws would preclude the donation of said Meds.

Answer 2

I agree; you probably can't donate them.  Don't flush them, though!  You should be able to return them to a pharmacy or doctor's office for  safe disposal.

Water treatment plants can't remove all the medication from the water and they end up affecting wildlife; they can also eventually work their way back around into our drinking water.

Returning drugs to a pharmacy or local hazardous waste drop-off is probably best, but if you can't, the recommended disposal method is to put them in household trash, sealed and mixed with kitty litter or something icky so people don't try to retrieve them.